Mar 29, 2024  
Catalogue 2018-2019 
    
Catalogue 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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BIOL 323 - Seminar in Cell and Molecular Biology

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)


An intensive study of selected topics at the cellular and subcellular level. Topics vary, but may include organelle structure and function, advanced genetics, and mechanisms of cellular organization. Emphasis is placed on current models, issues, and research areas, and course material is drawn largely from primary literature.

Topic for 2018/19a: Epigenetics. Most cells in our bodies contain the same set of DNA, yet there are ~200 different cell types, each with unique patterns of gene expression. How do those cells establish and maintain their identities? How do environmental factors such as temperature, nutrition and social stress exert long lasting effects on organisms and their progeny? The field of epigenetics is shedding new light on these and many other interesting questions in biology. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression (and hence traits) that cannot be explained by alterations in the DNA sequence. These changes instead involve chemical modifications to DNA and its associated histones. Some of these changes can be passed down through mitosis and some even through meiosis.

Exploration of this topic involves student presentations and active discussion of primary research articles and expands upon the participants’ previous coursework in genetics and chemistry. Jennifer Kennell.

Prerequisite(s):  CHEM 244  and one unit of Genetics (BIOL 238 , BIOL 244 , or BIOL 248 ), and one other 200-level Biology course (or NEUR 201 ).

Two 2-hour periods.



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